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LANCASTER -- It's nights like Friday that make Fredericktown defensive end Taylor Hitzfield glad he also plays offense.

The Freddies let a 28-7 halftime lead slip away, but Ryan Hathaway's third touchdown on a second-effort spin move in overtime lifted them past Wheelersburg 41-38 in a Division V regional semifinal at Lancaster's Fulton Field.

"When you play both ways, you always get another chance," said a grinning Hitzfield as he sat in front of his locker, soaking in the victory.

Making Hathaway's game-winner possible was Hitzfield's 17-yard catch to the 3 on second-and-10 after Wheelersburg took its first lead on a 22-yard field goal by Craig Stamper to open the extra period

Hitzfield's catch was modest. It was the way the 6-foot-4 senior tight end dragged a scrum of tacklers within point-blank range of the end zone that was monumental.

"They have a heckuva team; their quarterback (Merrit Zollars) and No. 3 (Hathaway) make them go," Wheelersburg coach Tony Lewis said. "They just made plays when they had to make plays. That little pop pass to (Hitzfield) ... we knew it was in their playbook, but they saved it until the end."

It was Hitzfield's way of punching back after the Freddies (10-2) absorbed a 333-yard, four-touchdown body blow from Wheelersburg (8-4) after halftime.

"We've been running that play since I was a freshman," Hitzfield said. "I get off the jam from the defensive end and find the bubble between the safety and the linebacker. Merrit was patient enough to let me get off the jam and then he threw a rocket. I had no time to react.

"I saw the goal line and knew what it would mean if I got in -- or close."

Hathaway took it from there. After Zollars was stopped short twice, the three-way standout shook off a hit at the line of scrimmage and spun to his left for the nifty, one-yard payoff.

"I scored six times in a game before," Hathaway said, "but this means more."

It was fitting that Hathaway applied the finishing touches since he had already figured in three touchdowns -- all in the first half -- by scoring on a 13-yard reception and a 52-yard interception return and by throwing a 22-yard option TD to Hitzfield.

"We put that option play in for the playoffs," Hitzfield said. "Ryan made a pretty good throw for a running back."

Hathaway also shot in from the secondary for a huge 12-yard sack in overtime, but the show he put on is nothing Zollars hasn't seen over and over again from his fellow senior.

"Ryan's been a playmaker ever since I broke my arm in sixth grade and he replaced me at quarterback," Zollars said after surviving three interceptions, one of which the Pirates returned for their only first-half touchdown.

"We were just gritting it out at the end. I didn't think Ryan got in, but he willed himself in there."

While Hathaway had a hand in four TDs, sophomore running back C.J. Ruhl opened the scoring with a 22-yard fumble return and appeared to blunt Wheelersburg's comeback with an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter. That shoved Fredericktown's lead to 35-21 with 10:19 to play.

But the Pirates were relentless. After throwing three of his four interceptions in the first half, senior quarterback Drew Spradlin was nearly unstoppable the rest of the way, completing 15 of 23 passes for 187 yards and two fourth-quarter scores to force overtime.

Junior running back Jordan Schankweiler was the other half of Wheelersburg's dynamic duo. He ran 23 yards with a fake punt to keep alive a drive that pulled the Pirates within 28-21 and answered Ruhl's second TD with a 30-yard scoring grab to make it 35-28.

Spradlin's second TD pass, a 26-yarder to Matt Jenkins with 5:58 left, completed the second-half reversal of fortune and sent the game to overtime. At that point, it looked like Wheelersburg's 20-4 edge in playoff appearances might spell the difference.

Zollars and Co. had other ideas.

"As seniors we've had our fair share of experiences," said Zollars, who finished with 64 yards rushing, 199 yards passing and five PATs. "We're never at a point where we're out of it."

The seventh-seeded Freddies have knocked off No. 2 Buckeye Trail and No. 3 Wheelersburg. Now they get a shot at No. 1 Columbus Bishop Ready, a 34-14 winner over Johnstown, next Friday. It marks Fredericktown's first trip to the regional finals since 1989.

"This team has always been so resilient," coach Luke Beal said. "These seniors, since they were freshmen, have always battled back in close games. You can never count these guys out. They have always found ways to win games, and they found one tonight."